Antonis Katantonakis
Encyclopedia
Antonis Katantonakis is a Greek
sprinter who currently competes at 200 and 400 meter distances. He became well known not only for his sprinting achievements but also for the fact that he started running for the first time at the age of 28 years.
Katantonakis was born in Prinias
, Crete
. He grew up in a poor agricultural family and had little chance to start training in his early years. In 1997 he left home in order to study, firstly in Athens
and then in Barcelona
. He is fluent in Greek
, English
, Spanish
, Italian
and Portuguese
. He returned to his homeland in 2004 and until that moment he had no relation with track and field.
In May 2005 at the age of 28 and after only 5 months of training he ran his first race with a time of 22.92 seconds in 200 meters. This was a good time and OFI Crete
called him to train with a professional trainer. In July 2006 Katantonakis ran 22.20. In 2007 despite several injures he managed to run 22.23 in 200 and 49.47 in 400 meters. Currently he is training for 400 meters. He was 7th in 400 meters in the Greek indoor championship 24 February 2008 with 50.74.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
sprinter who currently competes at 200 and 400 meter distances. He became well known not only for his sprinting achievements but also for the fact that he started running for the first time at the age of 28 years.
Katantonakis was born in Prinias
Prinias
Prinias , Crete, 35 kilometres southwest of Iraklion, about halfway between Gortyn and Knossos, is an archaeological site that has revealed a seventh-century BCE temple with striking similarities to Egyptian architecture, and an Egyptianizing seated goddess...
, Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
. He grew up in a poor agricultural family and had little chance to start training in his early years. In 1997 he left home in order to study, firstly in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
and then in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
. He is fluent in Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
and Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
. He returned to his homeland in 2004 and until that moment he had no relation with track and field.
In May 2005 at the age of 28 and after only 5 months of training he ran his first race with a time of 22.92 seconds in 200 meters. This was a good time and OFI Crete
OFI Crete
OFI , the Sportfriends Association Heraklion, is a Greek association football club based in Heraklion, on the island of Crete. Outside Greece, the club is generally known as OFI Crete F.C., however, the name Crete is not actually part of the club's official title.OFI is the club with most...
called him to train with a professional trainer. In July 2006 Katantonakis ran 22.20. In 2007 despite several injures he managed to run 22.23 in 200 and 49.47 in 400 meters. Currently he is training for 400 meters. He was 7th in 400 meters in the Greek indoor championship 24 February 2008 with 50.74.
Personal best times
- 60M 7.17 2006
- 100M 11.17 2006
- 200M 22.00 2008
- 400M 48.88 2008
- 4X100 Relay 42.12 OFI CreteOFI CreteOFI , the Sportfriends Association Heraklion, is a Greek association football club based in Heraklion, on the island of Crete. Outside Greece, the club is generally known as OFI Crete F.C., however, the name Crete is not actually part of the club's official title.OFI is the club with most...
2006 - 4X400 Relay 3.15.40 OFI CreteOFI CreteOFI , the Sportfriends Association Heraklion, is a Greek association football club based in Heraklion, on the island of Crete. Outside Greece, the club is generally known as OFI Crete F.C., however, the name Crete is not actually part of the club's official title.OFI is the club with most...
2007